Method and Apparatus for Collateral Use of Bottle Packaging

ABSTRACT

In a box system for storing bottles therein that includes a box, at least one longitudinal divider sheet and at least one latitudinal divider sheet. The divider sheets each consist of a non-corrugated absorbent high density wood pulpboard having a thickness in a range of between 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm and a basis weight in a range of between 410 gsm to 1240 gsm. The divider sheets are divided into a plurality of coaster units. Each coaster unit is printed with collateral branding indicia. The coaster units are separated by linear perforations to facilitate separation of the coaster units so that when the coaster units are separated they are usable as drink coasters.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation-in-part of PCT/US19/65014, filed on Dec. 6, 2019, which claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/247,650, filed on Jan. 15, 2019 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/776,136, filed Dec. 6, 2018, the entirety of each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to bottle packaging and, more specifically, to bottle packaging that is convertible into coasters.

2. Description of the Related Art

Most beverage bottles are transported in cardboard boxes that include cardboard or paperboard dividers placed in the boxes. The dividers define square prismatic volumes into which bottles are placed and provide impact absorption between the bottles during handling. Generally, the boxes and dividers are disposable.

Disposable drink coasters, such as beer mats, have been used at bars and pubs to absorb condensation from glasses containing cold drinks since they were first made in 1880. Such drink coasters protect tables impact and water damage. Most of the commonly used drink coasters are discarded after a single use. Many such coasters include advertising (usually for brands of beer or other beverages) printed thereon. Also, they are usually provided free to bar and pub owners by the brand suppliers because of the advertising printed on them. Some people even collect such drink coasters as souvenirs of their travels.

At typical high volume restaurant, bar or catering service can discard hundreds of boxes and dividers per week. While the boxes and dividers are usually recyclable, many hospitality establishment owners do not exert the extra effort necessary to recycle them. Given the substantial numbers of restaurants, bars, catering services and the like that purchase boxes of bottled drinks, the discarding of boxes and dividers can add substantial pressure on landfills.

Therefore, there is a need for a box system that facilitates reuse of components of boxes used to transport bottled beverages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention which, in one aspect, is a box system for storing bottles therein that includes a corrugated cardboard box with a plurality of divider sheets interleaved and placed therein so as to define a plurality of plurality of voids into which the bottles are placed. The divider sheets each consist essentially of a non-corrugated absorbent high density wood pulpboard having a thickness in a range of between 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm and a basis weight in a range of between 410 gsm to 1240 gsm and wherein each of the divider sheets include a plurality of straight vertical perforations and a plurality of straight horizontal perforations that facilitate separation of the divider sheets into a plurality of rectangular coaster units.

In another aspect, the invention is a box system for storing bottles therein that includes a corrugated cardboard box and a plurality of divider sheets. Each divider sheet is made from absorbent high density wood pulpboard disposed inside of the box. Each divider sheet includes a plurality of vertical linear perforations and transverse horizontal linear perforations that that facilitate separation of each divider sheet into a plurality of rectangular drink coasters. The divider sheets are interleaved so as to define a plurality of voids into which the bottles are placed. Each of the plurality of rectangular drink coasters include a product identifier printed thereon.

In yet another aspect, the invention is a method of making reusable box components in which a plurality of coaster unit indicia is printed on box divider sheets. Visually perceptible separation lines are placed on each box divider sheet to facilitate separation of portions of the divider sheets into coaster units. Vertical openings are cut in the divider sheets to facilitate interleaving of divider sheets such that the divider sheets define prismatic voids configured to receive bottles therein when the divider sheets are interleaved. The divider sheets are placed in a box in an interleaved arrangement.

These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings. As would be obvious to one skilled in the art, many variations and modifications of the invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view one representative embodiment of a box for transporting bottles that is convertible into drink coasters.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a plurality of drink coasters after having been separated from a divider.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of a drink coaster made by separation from a divider.

FIG. 4A is a plan view of one representative embodiment of a longitudinal divider that is convertible into drink coasters.

FIG. 4B is a plan view of one representative embodimentof a latitudinal divider that is convertible into drink coasters.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart demonstrating one method of making reusable box components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. Unless otherwise specifically indicated in the disclosure that follows, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary implementations and techniques illustrated in the drawings and described below. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.”

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one embodiment of a box system 100 for storing bottles 10 includes a box 102 into which are placed longitudinal dividers 110 and latitudinal dividers 120 that are interleaved so as to form a plurality of spaces into which bottles 10 are placed. The longitudinal dividers 110 and the latitudinal dividers 120 are divided into a plurality of coaster units 112. The coaster units 112 are separated by visually perceptible perforation lines 114. The perforation lines 114 facilitate the breaking up of the divider sheets 110 and 120 into coaster units 112. The box 102 can include instructions 106 printed thereon (for example on the top or bottom flaps 104) to notify the user that the box components are reusable as drink coasters and to demonstrate how the user is to recycle the dividers 110 and 120 by separating the coaster units 112 by breaking apart along the perforation lines 114 so that they may be used as drink coasters 115 upon which beverages 12 may be placed, as shown in FIG. 3.

Returning to FIG. 2, each coaster unit 112 can have printed thereon a product identifier or brand identifier with information such as a brand name 130, a logo 132 and other information 133. The dividers sheets 110 and 120 are made of high grammage pulpboard (also referred to as “coasterboard” and “paperboard”). The box 102 would typically be made of a material such as corrugated cardboard. The dividers sheets 110 and 120 are made of materials that require less strength, but that adequately absorb impact between the bottles 10 and that are suitable for use as drink coasters. In the typical embodiment, the dividers sheets 110 and 120 consist essentially of non-corrugated high grammage wood pulphoard, which is the material commonly used for “beer mats.” Such absorbent non-corrugated high density wood pulp board has a thickness in a range of 1 mm (40 pts) to 3 mm (120 pts) and a basis weight in a range of between 410 gsm (grams per square meter) to 1240 gsm to ensure proper rigidity and absorbency. In one embodiment, absorbent wood pulp board with a thickness of 1.4 mm with a basis weight of 580 gsm is used. This weight is sufficient to prevent contact between the bottles during handling of the box 102 while also providing a highly absorbent, stable and aesthetic coaster unit 112. Non-corrugated divider sheets are preferable because corrugated cardboard is generally not suitable for drink coasters as its deformability decreases the stability of drink glasses and bottles placed thereon. Also, corrugated cardboard typically lacks the absorbency necessary to soak up water from condensation on the glass or bottle.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the longitudinal divider sheets 110 and latitudinal divider sheets 120 each define at least one elongated vertical opening 116 that allows the divider sheets 110 to be interleaved with the latitudinal divider sheets 120. Typically, the elongated vertical openings 116 are die cut into sheets of the material from which the divider sheets 110 and 120 are formed. The adding of perforations along the separation lines 114 are also done during the die cutting process.

In other embodiments the box 102 and the divider sheets 110 and 120 can be printed with subsequent-use collateral materials. For example, one of the divider sheets 110 or 120 could be printed with an advertising sign promoting the brand of beverage shipped in the box 102. In one embodiment, a divider sheet can be printed with collateral material on one side and left blank on the other side.

As shown in FIG. 5, in one method of making reusable box components, coaster unit indicia are printed on divider sheets 210 and then the divider sheet 212 are perforated along straight lines that define rectangular coaster units. The perforations facilitate separation of portions of the divider sheets into coaster units. Vertical openings are cut in the divider sheets 214 to facilitate interleaving of divider sheets and the divider sheets are placed in a box in an interleaved arrangement 216, thereby defining spaces there-between. Bottles may then be placed in the spaces defined the dividers 218. In use, the dividers are removed from the box and the coaster units are separated and then used as coasters.

Although specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include some, none, or all of the enumerated advantages. Other technical advantages may become readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after review of the following figures and description. It is understood that, although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the figures and described below, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein without departing from the scope of the invention. The components of the systems and apparatuses may be integrated or separated. The operations of the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other components and the methods described may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order. As used in this document, “each” refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set. It is intended that the claims and claim elements recited below do not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim. The above described embodiments, while including the preferred embodiment and the best mode of the invention known to the inventor at the time of filing, are given as illustrative examples only. It will be readily appreciated that many deviations may be made from the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims below rather than being limited to the specifically described embodiments above. 

What is claimed is:
 1. In a box system for storing bottles therein that includes a corrugated cardboard box with a plurality of divider sheets interleaved and placed therein so as to define a plurality of plurality of voids into which the bottles are placed, the improvement comprising: the divider sheets each consisting of a non-corrugated absorbent high density wood pulpboard having a thickness in a range of between 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm and a basis weight in a range of between 410 gsm to 1240 gsm and wherein each of the divider sheets include a plurality of straight vertical perforations and a plurality of straight horizontal perforations that facilitate separation of the divider sheets into a plurality of rectangular coaster units.
 2. The box system of claim 1, in which each divider sheet has a thickness of 1.4 mm and a basis weight of 580 gsm.
 3. The box system of claim 1, in which each coaster unit comprises a product identifier printed thereon.
 4. The box system of claim 1, in which the divider sheets include: longitudinal divider sheets that define at least one elongated vertical opening; and latitudinal divider sheets that each define at least one elongated vertical opening, wherein the elongated vertical opening of the longitudinal divider sheets each receive therein a portion of one of the latitudinal divider sheets and wherein the elongated vertical opening of the latitudinal divider sheets each receive therein a portion of one of the longitudinal divider sheets, so that the latitudinal divider sheets are interleavable with the longitudinal divider sheets so as to define the plurality of voids.
 5. In a box system for storing bottles therein that includes a corrugated cardboard box with a plurality of divider sheets interleaved and placed therein so as to define a plurality of plurality of voids into which the bottles are placed, the improvement comprising: the divider sheets each consisting of absorbent high density wood pulpboard having a thickness of 1.4 mm and a basis weight of 580 gsm and wherein each of the divider sheets include a plurality of straight vertical perforations and a plurality of straight horizontal perforations that facilitate separation of the divider sheets into a plurality of rectangular coaster units, a product identifier printed thereon, the divider sheets including longitudinal divider sheets that define at least one elongated vertical opening; and latitudinal divider sheets that each define at least one elongated vertical opening, wherein the elongated vertical opening of the longitudinal divider sheets each receive therein a portion of one of the latitudinal divider sheets and wherein the elongated vertical opening of the latitudinal divider sheets each receive therein a portion of one of the longitudinal divider sheets, so that the latitudinal divider sheets are interleavable with the longitudinal divider sheets so as to define the plurality of voids.
 6. A box system for storing bottles therein, comprising: (a) a corrugated cardboard box; (b) a plurality of divider sheets each made from non-corrugated absorbent high density wood pulpboard disposed inside of the box, each divider sheet including a plurality of vertical linear perforations and transverse horizontal linear perforations that that facilitate separation of each divider sheet into a plurality of rectangular drink coasters, the divider sheets interleaved so as to define a plurality of voids into which the bottles are placed, each of the plurality of rectangular drink coasters including a product identifier printed thereon
 7. The box system of claim 6, in which each coaster unit comprises a product identifier printed thereon.
 8. The box system of claim 6, in which each divider sheet has a thickness in a range of between 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm and a basis weight in a range of between 410 gsm to 1240 gsm.
 9. The box system of claim 8, in which each divider sheet has a thickness of 1.4 mm and a basis weight of 580 gsm.
 10. The box system of claim 6, in which the divider sheets include: (a) longitudinal divider sheets that define at least one elongated vertical opening; and (b) latitudinal divider sheets that each define at least one elongated vertical opening, wherein the elongated vertical opening of the longitudinal divider sheets each receive therein a portion of one of the latitudinal divider sheets and wherein the elongated vertical opening of the latitudinal divider sheets each receive therein a portion of one of the longitudinal divider sheets, so that the latitudinal divider sheets are interleavable with the longitudinal divider sheets so as to define the plurality of voids. 